School Trip Refund

MissyMoo7

My son’s school trip to Inter Milan was cancelled due to COVID-19.  The school have re-arranged the trip for next year.  They have given parents the option to defer to next year or cancel.  We opted to defer to next year.  However, the school have now told us that as my son is in Year 11 and is not returning to the 6th Form that he will no longer be a pupil of the school, that he can’t go on the trip next year.  Therefore, as it is the school preventing him from going, I asked for a refund which they have refused. They say we have to claim from the travel insurance (which they say we have to do ourselves even though it’s the school who arranged the insurance) or wait until the school can try and get someone in his place which they may not be able to do and even if they do, we would have to wait until that parent had paid all the trip instalments until we could get a refund ourselves.  My argument is that we haven’t cancelled the trip, the school are preventing him from going and therefore it’s their responsibility to refund us and then find a replacement for my son.  Any advice would be much appreciated.  

[Deleted User]

 Just claim on the insurance? 

Life__Goes__On

To me doesn't make sense,  when deferring to next year the school must have known there would be children they wouldn't allowed to go next year. So the school either need to get a refund for those pupils, or take on the cost themselves and then resell the places. The school  might be trying to make  money out of it,  by getting you to go via  insurance, so not refunding you,  then  selling the holiday to another pupil.
 

MissyMoo7

The trip covers year groups 7-11 but there are only about five Year 11 pupils going.  I think the other Year 11 pupils on the trip may be going back to the 6th Form and so it doesn’t affect them.  I’ve tried to explain that it’s unfair on us as we haven’t got the option for my son to go next year but they either don’t get it or don’t want to get it.  

MissyMoo7

As for claiming on the insurance - the trip hasn’t been cancelled, it’s been deferred.  I don’t know if the insurance company will pay out just because the school rules don’t allow him to go.  I also think the school are dodging their responsibility by trying to get us to claim on the insurance.  It also from what I gather should be up to them to make the claim because it’s their insurance but they’re saying we have to make the claim ourselves.  Again they are taking no responsibility for it at all. 

Life__Goes__On

I think trying to claim on the insurance is the easiest way to get your money back, but tell the school it should make up any shortfall if there is an excess payable.
The other option if the school won't refund is take (at least threaten) legal action.